TOPIC:

Could I ask how you know that you are not looking at two different people?

Marcus Fielding wrote: Hello,

I have just recently discovered this relative.

The records show that he was a member of Roberts' Horse. www.angloboerwar.com/unit-information/so...ts/464-roberts-horse

But he emigrated to Australia in 1911 and joined the Australian Imperial Force in 1914.

On his AIF application he stated that he had been a member of the East Yorkshire Regiment for 10 years and 272 days and that he had served for 2 years and 8 months in South Africa, as well as Egypt and India.

I can find no other record of his service in South Africa other than the Roberts' Horse link above not of his service in the East Yorkshire Regiment or in Egypt or India.

Is is possible that he also served with the East Yorkshire Regiment in South Africa? www.angloboerwar.com/unit-information/im...t-yorkshire-regiment

Any suggestions on where to research further would be very much appreciated.

Regards, Marcus Fielding

Marcus Fielding wrote: Hello,

I have just recently discovered this relative.

The records show that he was a member of Roberts' Horse. www.angloboerwar.com/unit-information/so...ts/464-roberts-horse

But he emigrated to Australia in 1911 and joined the Australian Imperial Force in 1914.

On his AIF application he stated that he had been a member of the East Yorkshire Regiment for 10 years and 272 days and that he had served for 2 years and 8 months in South Africa, as well as Egypt and India.

I can find no other record of his service in South Africa other than the Roberts' Horse link above not of his service in the East Yorkshire Regiment or in Egypt or India.

Is is possible that he also served with the East Yorkshire Regiment in South Africa? www.angloboerwar.com/unit-information/im...t-yorkshire-regiment

Any suggestions on where to research further would be very much appreciated.

Regards, Marcus Fielding

From the records I have looked at, I would say that your relative William John Burgess did not serve in Robert's Horse, and that he served throughout the Anglo-Boer War with the East Yorkshire Regiment.

Mark

Very clearly William John Burgess did serve in Roberts Horse after enlisting in Capetown, but, interestingly only for a single month, I would expect any surviving paper in WO126 to confirm beyond all possible doubt that he was not in any way related to William Burgess, moreover, given that, I would suggest, he is most unlikely to be the relative in question, they appear two different people, you could not be a serving ranker in the British Army and then join the SAMIF whilst actually still engaged in membership of the former, without being charged with desertion.





From the records I have looked at, I would say that your relative William John Burgess did not serve in Robert's Horse, and that he served throughout the Anglo-Boer War with the East Yorkshire Regiment.

Mark[/quote]

Dear Mark and Frank,

Thanks very much for your time and expertise on this query.

I think you are spot on. The fellow with Roberts' Horse is another person.

I know that my William John Burgess was born in Workington but that his DOB varies between 1869 and 1875 depending on the record. I suspect he may have cribbed a few years when signing up for the AIF in 1914.

And all the facts in your FindMyPast post seem to match the information provided in his AIF application form so I think you have found him!

His DOB seems to match his service between 1891 and 1902 (ages 22-33).

So two tours in South Africa? One Garrison one active service. He stated that he served there for two years and 8 months all up.

And he would have actually been 45 when enlisting for the first AIF.

Fascinating!

Regards, Marcus